BAE: 1023 mic preamp & EQ
reviewed by Allen Farmelo
Brent Averill Enterprises, simply known as BAE these days, is perhaps the best-known builder of Neve-style preamps, and for good reason as their designs indeed capture the behavior, tone, and...
Gear Reviews
by Allen Farmelo
Studio Six Digital: SPL Meter
reviewed by Allen Farmelo
The number of applications for the iPhone that could be useful for people doing recording is growing faster than any one of us can keep up with, but a recent find for me is the 99-cent SPL Meter from...
Granelli Audio Labs: G5790 modified SM57 mic
reviewed by Allen Farmelo
Here's a simple yet brilliant product-a Shure SM57 that's been modified with a right-angle bend between its head and body. The bend allows for far easier positioning, especially on drums. When you...
Nevaton: MC416 multi-pattern condenser mic
reviewed by Allen Farmelo
Nevaton is a Russian microphone manufacturer that formed in 1947 when an acoustic laboratory established itself at the Leningrad Optical and Mechanical Association (LOMO). In 1954, the laboratory...
Focal Professional: CMS 65 Monitors
reviewed by Allen Farmelo
If you work in a purpose-built, acoustically-treated studio in which room anomalies are at a minimum, then the acclaimed Focal SM6 series of monitors (Tape Op #60, #61) is a first-class choice....
ProAc: Studio 100 speakers
reviewed by Allen Farmelo
The ProAc Studio 100 is a passive two-way monitor sporting a 6.5" bass/midrange driver and a 1" soft-dome fabric tweeter housed in a traditional-looking ported cabinet. The crossover allows for...
Arturia: Analog Factory Experience
reviewed by Allen Farmelo
As an integrated system with hardware controller and soft-synth designed together, Analog Factory Experience may just be the first "hybrid synthesizer". The controller is an exact physical...
Antelope Audio: Isochrone OCX & 10M clock generators
reviewed by Allen Farmelo
In a digital system, the word-clock signal is used to generate a common time reference amongst all system components. It not only regulates data flow so that everything works together synchronously,...
AnaMod: ATS-1 Analog Tape Simulator
reviewed by Allen Farmelo
The emulation of analog gear in the digital realm is nothing new, but the emulation of analog gear in the analog realm is a new concept-analog modeling. AnaMod was founded in 2006 by two long-time...
Massey Plugins: De:Esser
reviewed by Allen Farmelo
There aren't a lot of de-essers out there, probably because they're not very sexy and not at the top of many people's wishlists. But a good de-esser is invaluable, especially now that so many people...
RCA: BK-5A vintage ribbon mic
reviewed by Allen Farmelo
Ever since the studio where I do my tracking (Mavericks in NYC) acquired a pair of vintage RCA BK-5A ribbon mics, I've become a big fan and have found a ton of uses for them. It's difficult to track...
Frontier Design: AlphaTrack control surface
reviewed by Allen Farmelo
A number of years back, I was tracking a record in a room with a 24-fader Digidesign ProControl and then migrated to a situation with only a keyboard and a mouse. About halfway through the first day...